Strength
by NiekaWow
Summary: Time has passed and when everything starts to settle down in the town, they discover it's only just the beginning.


**A/N: This is just a pilot chapter, I guess. Tell me what you think please because I have quite I big plot for this story ahead. This is really kinda a slow, sweet start to the story so far, but next chapter (if there is one) will contain more action.**

**Thank you, and enjoy :D**

* * *

She listened to the people of the town and the birds in the nearby trees as she hugged her lukewarm heat bottle tight to her tummy. Fall was starting to die down into Winter, so keeping herself warm during the night was always pleasant compared to her past experiences.

She had lie there for a few hours, wasting away her time and duties of the day as the morning sun warmed up the earth into the afternoon sun and shun brightly through her window, slowly filling her with energy to finally come downstairs. She sat herself up, croaking the old springs in her mattress as a plush giraffe toy fell to the floor with a surprisingly heavy thud. She stretched, extending every limb while still grasping her heavy water bottle in the air. An inhuman sound escaped her throat as she giggled in response to the irregular dinosaur squeak. Her baggy sweatpants and hoody hugged her loosely yet warmly. She trudged downstairs with every step creaking lightly. With a big swing over head, she stiffly throws the heat bag into the kitchen sink, causing a loud band, scaring Joel into consciousness on his lounge chair.

"Jesus!", He cussed suddenly. His shoulders relaxed to see Ellie with a sinister smile on her face.

"Mornin'." She greeted. He only moaned as he rubbed is eyes tired frustration. His hair and beard had gotten progressively greyer and his wrinkles more prominent as the 5 odd years had flown by.

"Whatchu even doing here, old man?" she asked, walking over to the bottle and emptying the warm water down the dirty drain.

"Damn leak in the ceiling was driving me insane. Couldn't block out the sound of the drips."

"Sounds like you're going crazy."

"Yeah well your house is no better. It's creaky as hell." he complained as he stood, walking over to the kitchen counter.

"Im used to it. Want some breakfast?"

"Nah, Tommy's coming over here to force your ass to some work."

An animal like groan rumbled from her as she fell to the ground in disappointment, dropping the bottle in the sink and laying there refusing to move. Joel loomed over her and kicked her side gently.

"Don't be a lazy ass. You'll probably just work in the stables or something. Ain't a big deal." She only moaned more, hoping to have a perfectly lazy day being ruined by horse shit. There was a loud knock on the door that could only mean bad. "There he is, get your boots, you're working. No excuses." Joel walked over to the door and let his brother in the house.

Over the years, Ellie had opened up to everyone in the town enough to call them family. Tommy, Maria, the couple down the street and the kids near the town square she likes to wrestle with. They were all pretty playful; but the worst of them were Tommy and Ellie. Tommy was still young enough to tackle and she loved nothing more but to prove her strength to others. Within her first night of being accommodated in the dam, she had snuck behind him and gave him a noogie, swirling her fist in his hair while bracing him in a headlock, the only reason being because he commented on tiny she was, so obviously her motive was to prove him wrong. They were best friends in the uncle/niece sort of way, and frankly Joel found it to be the most entertaining thing he had ever seen. So the split second she started running away from Tommy, laughing, he was quick to move when he ran up to her, caught her and threw her over his shoulder. Her spine rested uncomfortably on his shoulder as she thrashed and he began walking towards the door.

"You ain't getting' out of your jobs today." He strained, forgetting how heavy she was and dropped her on her feet to the doorstep. He grabbed her boots and threw them to her, Joel laughing in the background. Tommy swiped his hair from his face, a huge smile on his lips as she watched the girl groan in laziness.

* * *

Ellie brushed the stray hair from Strider's body. The large black and white spotted Appaloosa horse neighed, appreciating the affection he had been receiving for the last couple hours. Ellie's tummy had been rumbling from skipping breakfast and worked hard for Strider to be in top condition again. She hadn't ridden him in a couple days, finding herself to be lazier than ever and still not having full confidence in hunting outside the gates. She wiped her brow of the sweat being induced from cleaning hooves, trimming tails, cleaning stalls and cleaning saddling equipment. She was still trying to make it up to Sal, who years ago stole one of his horses who inevitably died. She'll never forget Callus.

She had grown the courage to go hunting for a while, but it wasn't until she stared at the bow on the wall of the stables hall, leaning against Strider.

Fuck it.

She founds 12 arrows in the armoury chest and placed them snugly in a bag, propped for easy access whenever she may need them and placed the bow around her, the bowstring across her chest as she had finally saddled up Strider. Her legs adjusted to the feeling of them being wrapped around him as her feet sat in the stirrups comfortably and gripped the reigns tightly. She had done her work for the day and she was hungry. She knew the guards around the barrier would keep her safe and she won't go that far.

_Just like the good ol' days._


End file.
